Amazon Waters Year 1 – Number 4 - December 2013

CLOSE - UP 3rd Meeting of the GEF Amazon Project Steering Committee

On 22 November 2013, government Representatives from , , Co- lombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Surina- me met in Lima for the 3rd Steering Com- mittee Meeting of the Project “Integrated and Sustainable Management of Trans- boundary Water Resources in the Basin considering Climate Variability and Change.” Among others, the Meeting offered a chance to present the 2013 Annual Report and the recommendations of the Project’s Mid-Term Evaluation, which were shared by UNEP. In addition, the 2014 Annual Plan of Operations and Budget of the GEF Ama- zon Project were presented to the Commi- ttee for consideration and approval. Third Meeting of the Project Steering Committee

Main Recommendations of the 3rd GEF Amazon Project Steering Committee Meeting

Various recommendations were made be used to produce a regional proposal. To increase the project’s visibility, high following the reports presented by the PS/ There will also be activities to assess a level meetings will be scheduled in each of ACTO and by the Project. proposal for a hydrometeorological and the eight Amazon countries with relevant The 2014 Plan of Operations will focus critical events network in the ACTO Mem- national stakeholders in water resource on driving the vision for water resources ber Countries. decisions, sharing the Project’s achieve- management in the Amazon Basin and pre- Also in the plans is establishing an In- ments and main findings. It will also be ne- paring a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis tegrated Information System (IIS) with a cessary to promote the Project’s participa- (TDA) in each country, which will in turn feed practical approach that is easy for member tion in scientific events related to water re- the Strategic Action Program (SAP) that will countries to access. sources organized by Member Countries.

1 EVENTS Validation Workshop: Strengthening Institutional and Legal Systems for Integrated Water Resources Management in the Amazon Basin

On November 21th, 2013, govern- ties that correspond to Component I - Un- ment Representatives from Bolivia, Bra- derstanding the Amazonian Society of the zil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru GEF Amazon Project – Water Resources and Suriname attended the Validation and Climate Change. Workshop: Strengthening Institutional During the meeting all the Member and Legal Systems for Integrated Water Countries Delegations gave presentations Resources Management in the Ama- about integrated water resources man- zon Basin held in the context of the 3rd agement (IWRM). Some countries present- Steering Committee Meeting of the GEF ed the legal framework for transboundary Amazon Project. watershed management and others ex- The workshop aimed to review and plained their institutional systems, which validate the preliminary results of the in- in some places include the establishment stitutional and legal strengthening activi- interministerial committees. Validation Workshop

Legal framework Towards institutional for IWRM integration in the Amazon The consultancy report of the ac- Basin tivity “Legal Framework for Integrated Water Resources Management in the As a result of the consultancy for “Institutional Integration in the Amazon River Amazon Basin” was presented during Basin”, the following elements were presented: the Meeting, showing progress in the Legal Inventory that is revealing 1. Strengthening interinstitutional coordination for water resources management the similarities and differences in the in ACTO Member Countries. countries’ legal regimes for water re- 2. Strengthening the Permanent National Commissions of ACTO Member sources. A proposal is being prepared Countries. with the general lines for a common 3. Creating and/or strengthening communication and information sharing mech- legal space for water resources man- anisms between the governmental entities in charge of water resources man- agement based on the Amazon Coop- agement in the Amazon River Basin. eration Treaty. 4. Strengthening institutional capacities (technical and administrative) in the Among others, this proposal in- eight Member Countries to improve implementation of water policies. cludes an introduction to the Amazon 5. Creating a Regional Working Group for Integrated Water Resources Manage- countries’ legal systems and constitu- ment in the Amazon River Basin. tional frameworks for the environment and water resources, and an analysis of Both consultancies will serve as input to prepare the Transboundary Diagnostic international legal instruments on the Analysis (TDA) and the Strategic Action Program (SAP) of the GEF Amazon - Water matter. Resources and Climate Change Project.

2 3 ILLUSTRATIVE DROP

PROJECT STRUCTURE

Validation Workshop

2 3 NEWS OF COMPONENT I Achievements of the Legal Experts Meeting of the GEF Amazon Project

Legal experts of the ACTO Member Countries that form the GEF Amazon Proj- ect expert team met on 13-14 November 2013 in the ACTO headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, to present the constitutional and legal framework for water resources man- agement in each country. This activity is related to the analysis of the Amazon countries’ legal framework and corresponds to Component I – Under- standing the Amazonian Society of the GEF Amazon Project. The meeting was attended by National Legal Consultants from Bolivia, Brazil, Co- Meeting of Legal Experts of the GEF Amazon Project lombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Surina- es in force in their countries. They also In addition to the legislation Invento- me. On the occasion, the experts shared analyzed the similarities and diff erences ries, this GEF Amazon Project activity will the international, regional and bilateral between the basin’s various legal instru- generate various products that will be re- legal instruments related to water resourc- ments for water resources. ported in due time.

EVENTS Trinational Early Warning System in the MAP Region

The 1st International Meeting of theTri- and used to produce thematic maps for the national Early Warning System for the trans- MAP region. boundary region of Madre de Dios (Peru), Risk and vulnerability maps with ERI (Brazil), and Pando (Bolivia), known as were presented for the basin, and will later MAP, was attended by governmental Rep- be incorporated to the Integrated Informa- resentatives and civil society institutions of tion System (IIS) of the GEF Amazon Project. the MAP region of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. Those who participated in the The meeting was organized in the context expedition reported on data and informa- of the Pilot Project “Climate Change Adap- tion collected in rural communities during tation in the MAP Region” developed under the 185 km journey from Assis-Brazil to Bra- the GEF Amazon - Water Resources and sileia. They also corroborated the accuracy Climate Change Project and took place on 5 of maps produced in the fi eld. December 2013 in Cobija, Bolivia. Participants were introduced to the Among other matters, the meeting Terra MA 2 system that is being used by aimed to present the preliminary data col- the Acre State Environment Secretariat, Towards a trinational Early Warning System in the MAP region lection fi ndings in the MAP region, the trina- which consists of an operational system to tional thematic maps, and the Ecological Risk monitor, analyze and issue warnings against Index (ERI) maps, all of which are key inputs Warning System in the MAP Region, a priority environmental risks. The group decided to for the Early Warning System. Participants task for the GEF Amazon - Water Resources extend the platform to the other areas of the also worked on draft adaptation strategies for and Climate Change Project. MAP region. the vulnerable areas identifi ed. A trinational geo-referenced Database of The trilateral meeting represented a ma- In the course of the meeting local respon- the Acre river basin was presented, empha- jor breakthrough for regional cooperation on sibilities were defi ned for the Trinational Early sizing that the data had been standardized a priority issue that aff ects the region.

4 5 EVENT Regional Technical Meeting Extreme Hydrologic Events: Exchange of experience and technical cooperation between ACTO Member Countries

On 18-20 November 2013, governmen- Some of main topics discussed were: AS PART OF THE CONCLUSIONS, THE tal delegates from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, • Managing the risks of extreme hy- COUNTRIES DECIDED TO: Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname met drologic events • Share information among the ACTO in Lima, Peru, to take part in the Regional • Institutional coordination for ma- Member Countries: including hydro- Technical Meeting “Extreme hydrologic naging extreme hydrologic events meteorological data, flood forecas- events, exchange of experiences and tech- (case of Brazil) ting models and action procedures nical cooperation among ACTO Member • Hydrometeorological monitoring to face extreme hydrologic events. Countries”. network for extreme events • Develop studies about hydrome- The event was convened under the • Flood vulnerability maps teorological balances in the Ama- Amazon Project: “Regional Action on Water • Flood risk maps zon Basin to support the proposed Resources” that is being implemented by • Functioning of Situation Rooms basic hydrometeorological Ne- the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA) (case of Brazil) twork and an Information System with support from the PS/ACTO. • The MAP Initiative, a subject that is for the Amazon Basin. The Technical Meeting aimed to provi- in line with the activity for climate • Develop a Flood Vulnerability Map de an opportunity to allow ACTO Member change adaptation in the MAP for the Amazon Basin, as a tool Countries to share experiences about how transboundary region of the GEF to guide the installation of new to manage the risks of extreme hydrologic Amazon Project – Water Resources hydrometeorological gaging sta- events with a view to improving coordina- and Climate Change. tions, thereby creating a warning tion between participating institutions. system in the region.

Regional Technical Meeting in Lima

4 5 NEWS OF COMPONENT III Pilot project for Climate Change Adaptation comes up with solutions for the Amazon Basin

Adaptation to climate change in the MAP region is being addressed through integrated water resources management pilot projects developed under Compo- nent III - Strategic Action Program - of the GEF Amazon Project. The trinational region known as MAP includes Madre de Dios Department in Peru, Acre State in Brazil and Pando De- partment in Bolivia. In this region, the three countries share the Acre river basin and other transboundary rivers that cross the area. More than 900,000 people live there, 120,000 of them in Madre de Dios, 700,000 in Acre and 90,000 in Pando. Extreme events are occurring increas- ingly often in the MAP region. Among them are strong rains that cause great fl oods, as well as prolonged droughts. In addition, due to the extended periods without rain, the fi re used to burn wood often spreads out of control and causes large forest fi res. In this context, the MAP region is making eff orts to strengthen cooperation between the various Agencies to improve coordinated response to the challenges posed by adaptation to climate change. Three countries sharing the Acre river

GEF Amazon Project achievements in the MAP region

Consultant Elsa Mendoza called at- some information, but we’re working on “Our Project is a pilot, it’s experi- tention to the Project’ progress: “We built it.” As part of the process, the Project is mental, hopefully it will be replicated a trinational database in which tech- working with the participating countries in other borders that share rivers, for nicians from each State and university to validate the data and implement the the benefit of the society. It will cer- experts helped us to prepare an assess- warning system. tainly be one more solution for the ment of land use and its effects in the “There is also the “Terra MA2 Platform” Amazon Basin,” concluded the Coordi- Acre river basin. For example, we know that is currently used by the Acre State Gov- nator for this MAP region activity. To what area has been burned, among ernment of Brazil, and we hope that the this end, the Pilot Project findings will close to 17 variables, everything in one Pando and Madre de Dios Departments can be shared with all the Member Coun- single trinational database. We still need use it as well,” noted Elsa Mendoza. tries of ACTO.

6 7 NEWS OF COMPONENT III

Risk Governance Model in the Purus River basin Risk Governance Model: Climate Change Adaptation in the Purus subbasin

The Pilot Project related to Priority Cli- climate change in the Purus subbasin, communities’ adaptation capacity, and mate Change Adaptation Measures called which plays a fundamental role in the Am- analyzing institutional capacity in select- “Risk governance in the transboundary azon Basin due to is location in the trans- ed locations. According to Nirvia Rav- subbasin of the Purus River” is being devel- boundary region of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. ena—PhD in Political Science by the Rio oped under Component 3 of the GEF Ama- Its strategy consists of preparing an de Janeiro University Research Institute, zon Project - Water Resources and Climate operating Model for Risk Governance the activity Coordinator and leader of an Change. and Climate Change validation based on interdisciplinary team of project consul- Its aims to empower local governments three components: preparing a climat- tants—this will lead to the construction to mitigate critical problems resulting from ic and hydrologic model, assessing the of three specifi c databases.

6 7 Climate change eff ects in the Purus subbasin

The Meteorologist Adriano Souza, PhD types of problems”, explains Dr. Souza. “At boundary and we need to be able to see in Water Resources and Environmental times people have to leave their homes it all at once. Our data collection process Sanitation by the Federal University of Rio because of the water coming in, which was successful in Bolivia and we hope to Grande do Sul, is in charge of modeling hy- creates public health problems like water- continue collecting data in Peru.” drological aspects, including climate and borne diseases.” The GEF Amazon Project - Water Re- surface hydrology, in the low, medium and The expert also explained that me- sources and Climate Change provides high Purus river, which are very diff erent in teorological data was collected for the knowledge about the basin, which is a fi rst hydrologic and meteorological terms. Hydrologic Model being prepared by the step in establishing partnerships between To help us to understand the eff ects of GEF Amazon Project. This will enable sim- neighboring countries and share research climate change on populations of the Pu- ulations of what may happen in ten years fi ndings to learn about the Amazon as a rus subbasin, the Project Consultant men- time, particularly intense droughts and whole. tioned two extreme examples: droughts fl oods. “The Hydrologic Model we use is The Project will generate information and fl oods. “During the dry season we have the SWAT, developed by the University of for the period of 2010 to 2020 using the a problem of population displacement. Texas. Known as an open box, it has more Italian climate model RegM3 to achieve Since there are no roads, everything is done than a thousand equations to describe a credibility of 80% to 90%, which is fun- by the river, and when there is an extreme phenomena. The model will receive the damental to understand the atmospher- drought it’s impossible to send medica- databases we were able to obtain and will ic phenomena that generate droughts tions, water, or even an ambulance, which start working mathematically to generate and fl oods. It will also strengthen capaci- in the Amazon is called an ‘ambulancha’ or the series. Its value lies in that it works ty-building eff orts by involving graduate ambumotorboat”. spatially, which is what we are hoping students and providing science education “When the river rises there are other for, since the basin is very big and trans- while performing studies.

Analyzing future scenarios: Climate forecasts in the Purus subbasin In order to feed the Risk Governance Institute of the Sao Paulo State University have and why. We are currently starting to Model, a database about climate change, and a PhD in Meteorology from the Brazil- analyze the data to prepare a climate data- adaptation measures and extreme events ian National Institute for Space Research base”, says Project Consultant Dr. Vitorino. associated to public disasters and emer- (INPE), is also preparing a diagnostic and This stage is fundamental to produce a gency situations will be prepared based on prognostic assessment of climate condi- more precise forecast. “This information will information provided by Civil Defense or- tions in the Purus subbasin. be put into the REGCM3 (Regional Circula- ganizations at the state and national levels “To conduct this assessment, fi rst we tion Meridional), a climate forecast model and other entities that work with climate need to know the history of the climate in that will be used to produce future scenar- and the eff ects of El Niño and La Niña in the Purus, its predominant features: the shape ios for the region using rainfall parameters. Purus subbasin. of the Purus river, precipitation, wind, evap- This will allow us to forecast river level rises Meteorologist Isabel Vitorino, who oration and others factors like the El Niño and impacts in the area in 2015, for exam- holds a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Sci- and La Niña phenomena and extreme ple, which will be done in a meteorology ences from the Geophysics and Astronomy events in the region, learning how they be- laboratory”, adds Dr. Vitorino.

©ACTO 2013 Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization- Permanent Secretary (ACTO/PS). Secretary General Amb. Robby Ramlakhan, Executive Director Amb. Mauricio Dor er, Administrative Director Carlos Aragón, Transport, Tourism and Communication Coordination Carlos Arana Courrejolles, Indigenous Affairs Coordination Sharon Austin, Science, Technology and Education Coordination Germán Gómez, Environment Coordination Antonio Matamoros, Health Coordination Antonio Restrepo, Photos: ACTO Archives. ACTO Address: SHIS QI 05, Conjunto 16, Casa 21, Lago Sul.CEP 71615-160 Brasilia, DF, Brasil Tel.+5561-3248-4119. www.otca.info GEF Amazon Project: Regional Technical Coordinator Norbert Fenzl [email protected] http://gefamazonas.otca.info Project Address: SHIS QI 09, Conjunto 03, Casa12, Lago Sul, Brasilia DF, Brasil CEP71625-030 Tel. +5561-3248 -7730

8